Blogging Is Not Just About Money – It Is Also A Great Way To Chase Dreams
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This is a guest post from Emmet Gibney from HelmsleyMedia.com, who has participated in both Blog Mastermind and Membership Site Mastermind.
A lot of the readers here are likely students in Yaro and Gideon’s Become a Blogger Premium program, and I thought I would share a few words of advice with you as you start your journey towards blogging riches.
Blogging isn’t just about making money, it can also be a wonderful way to experience things you would not have otherwise had the opportunity to do.
I have been blogging for the last 4-5 years. I have started a number of blogs, and allowed a number of them to die. I started a cooking blog where we shot videos of a friend of mine cooking food and teaching you how to do it. It didn’t go anywhere but it was fun. I started a badminton blog, which is still going strong, and has allowed me to become partners with a childhood idol of mine. Finally, the blog that is the focus of this article, is a blog about film school which allowed me to meet Princess Leia herself.
In 2006 I went to NYFA (New York Film Academy), and prior to leaving for school I felt like there was a lack of research materials and testimonials from people who had gone to film school. I decided I would chronicle my experiences at film school on a blog, and hopefully it would make money to support myself in NYC, it’s an expensive place you know!
FilmSchoolStudent.com didn’t turn into what I had planned and I dropped out of the program because it didn’t seem worth the money. Disappointed I moved back to Canada.
Over the next year or so I kept writing on the blog anyway, providing tips to other people who were making the tough decision of whether or not to go to film school. Then the following summer Fox (the TV channel) announced they were doing a reality show where aspiring film directors would have a chance to compete for a Hollywood development contract with Steven Spielberg’s studio Dreamworks. The show was called “On The Lot” and I started watching with great interest as I was an aspiring filmmaker myself.
Then one day I received an email from a PR rep for Ford, the main sponsor of the show:
“Hello,My name is ***** and I happened to come across this address from www.filmschoolstudent.com. I’d like to be able to contact the publisher of the blog and was hoping you could, since you worked with the publisher, provide them with my contact information. It is in regards to an opportunity with television series “On The Lot”. Feel free to contact me on my direct line below if you would like additional information.
Thank-you,
*****”
I immediately called them, and they asked me if I would be interested in coming down to Hollywood to watch a taping of the show, all expenses paid. I would be put up at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, where the first Oscar ceremony ever was held. Of course I accepted their invitation, and not much more than a week later I was landing at LAX airport.
For the next 3 days I was treated like a VIP. I got to see behind the scenes of how the show was put together, I met all of the contestants, and I met Princess Leia herself, Carrie Fisher. Not the highlight of the trip for me necessarily, but certainly the most comical as we proceeded to argue over the quality of Spielberg’s work on “Jurassic Park”.
This trip was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. The blog I was running was getting somewhere around 15 visitors per day, in fact after being contacted I took down my Sitemeter for fear that they would see how few visitors I was getting. It didn’t matter though, they were just trying to figure out this whole blogosphere thing.
The point of it is you don’t need to have some massive readership for interesting things to happen if you run a blog. Just by putting yourself out there on a consistent basis things can start happening.
Now with my badminton blog I am planning to live out my dreams of playing badminton on the professional tour with my childhood idol as my mentor. None of this would be possible were it not for blogging. I might not ever become rich from blogging, or become a world champion, but blogging has made more exciting things happen for me than almost anything else in my life.
Emmet Gibney
HelmsleyMedia.com
BadmintonVM.com
FilmSchoolStudent.com (You can read the long version of the story of my trip to Hollywood)
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I personally never started a blog to make money. I just wanted to put solid helpful information out there to help everyone.
I know in recent months I have slacked off blogging because of other endevors but will get back to it. I know from what blogging I have done and blogs I have read, I have met and joined some great communities.
The blog owners themselves are really down to earth people and can be aporached for advice
Forgot my name in the name box for my comment
It stands to reason that if you’re offering value of any kind, even if it is “just” helpful information, then you’ll start getting people who follow your blog and reference you as an authority on your specific subject. If you build enough credibility / authority there will come a point where you can actually make some money off your efforts. Traffic = cash.
I can identify with you.
I personally never started a blog to make money. I just wanted to put solid helpful information out there to help everyone.
I know in recent months I have slacked off blogging because of other endeavors but will get back to it. I know from what blogging I have done and blogs I have read, I have met and joined some great communities.
The blog owners themselves are really down to earth people and can be approached for advice
Forgot my name the first time around in the Name field. My Bad
I know you should not be motivated solely by monetary reward when blogging (or starting out), but to say you have no desire to profit from blogging is ridiculous.
No wonder you have “slacked off”!
Adding 2 cents to the topic on blogging being a great way to chase dreams…
Blogging is a great way to get attention, making yourself known in the blogosphere. However, by the time you’ve finished reading this article and have not got a business model / dreamline model up — you will fail.
On the lighter side, knowing what you are seeking for will help you tremendously in chasing dreams — and turning it into reality!
Like what the author has written here, you’ve gotta put yourself up consistently, and things will surely happen. The all expenses paid trip up to meet Carrie Fisher *the Princess Leia herself* happened, and perhaps even the badminton blog will see a greater story of a badminton tour unfolding right before our eyes through the blog.
If you’re totally in for the money, sure — it’s part of your dreams too to grab income online. However, go if you have every single intention to chase dreams from through blogging…
Go for it. Exciting times to come!
Blogging is all about taking a first step in self-fulfillment. A personal blog allows you to realize you’re not alone in your insanity, and a niche blog lets you put your ambitions to the test. Blogging makes you realize how open your future really is.
It can’t be said enough, do what you love and the money will follow. Although starting a blog for the sole purpose of making money is a recipe for disaster. Keeping current content on a blog is time consuming and requires lots of discipline. Without a passion for the material it’s terribly difficult to stay motivated. I’m sure some people can do it, I just know that I would find it hard to right about something I wasn’t passionate about week in and week out.
It’s not really a new concept, but always worth discussing.
Phil
wow….forgot to read the comment before submitting it and notices lots of mistakes. I think it’s time to go to bed.
Correction above:
“although” should be removed
“right” should be “write”
Time for bed.
I’d like to get rich by blogging. Right now I have a blog about learning Japanese language since it’s the only knowledge I can share. But what is more important to me is the self-expression and I want to be known as an expert in this field
Maybe Japan education office will invite me to Japan and pay my expenses too 
I agree it is about chasing a dream. Blogging has given an opportunity for every mom and pop out there to voice out themselves, to make a difference in their societies and to stand out. This is a real revolution people and it is not yet late to get into.
What an inspiring story. It is always a treat to hear those bloggers that are blogging on there passion. We always say the money will come, do the things you love and the rest will take care of itself. Love the Story about “On The LOT”
John C. Maxwell says it best http://www.trigeia.com/article.php?id=6653
Keep moving forward
@Trigeia
Great story! I’ve been contacted by PR people representing various entities in show biz via some of my blogs, but unfortunately invites and offers are withdrawn or not followed up on the moment I mention I am not based in America.
I started my blog to make money, through doing something that I love which happens to be travel, therefore I blog about travel and tourism. The rest is secondary to my initial plan which is helping out others through the blog.
There’s more of blogging than entertainment, self expression and of course money. I can say that you can experience unexpected things than sitting, typing and earning from a tiny portion of the World Wide Web. You can never tell the things that might happen from owning a blog, from frustration to success and even a call from Hollywood. I would like to congratulate the author for a great experience. Not everyone is given such opportunity, it’s like you won a getaway ticket. You are such a lucky guy.ss
Emmet,
congratulations on your success. I hope you come back with a prize (and blog about it)
Igor
I’ve always loved the world of 3D so started my own studio and did lots of cool stuff for industrial companies, once that slid, I jumped into another passion of mine, woodworking and built a site that now sells plans, kits and files around the world. Nice thing about it, it allows me to do lots of 3D too
Following passions is fun,
Jon @ WoodMarvels.com
That’s a fantastic story
The Internet (and blogging) really has made the world a much smaller place.. The inaccesible are no longer quite out of reach.. Congratulations
Great advice “by putting yourself out there on a consistent basis things can start happening”. I agree with you. If making money is only goal, blogging is a poor choice. The money you make is terrible compared to the investment in time. Although it’s very enjoyable for many other reasons.
My goodness!
The timing of this post is uncanny – you’ve just reminded me why I wanted to get into blogging in the first place. I was getting way too bogged-down with how I was going to ‘monetize’ my blog…without even having written my first post!
Composers, artists, actors, writers – any type of creative person – does what they do because they ‘need’ to and, just like in blogging, it’s only a select few who end up being able to make a living from what they do.
The money doesn’t matter if you’re focussed on something you love.
Thanks Yaro!
For me blogging has always been more about fun and meeting new people than about money
Interesting post. Congratulations on your unexpected opportunity. I can only hope this post does not cause people to succumb to magical thinking. If you have 15 visitors per day, there is a 0.0001% chance of anything good coming from your blog. And you weren’t chasing your dreams. You gave up on your dreams and then got lucky. Your dreams chased you.
The title and methodology of this post are wrong, but it is still inspiring.
I have to say I am amazed by the response, and happy to see people enjoyed it. Something I wanted to address was a comment about how I “gave up on the dream”. Quitting a crappy film school to start my own production company isn’t giving up, it’s just quitting a crappy film school.
Something happens when you fully commit yourself to a course of action, and you finally start to see the path in front of you a lot clearer. You realize that you can’t plan exactly what path you’re going to take to achieve your dreams, and you often discover that your dreams aren’t what you thought they were. Along the way you adapt and take advantage of the opportunities that come your way. But without taking that bold action in the first place, you will never know what’s possible.
I realized that film school was not the path for me, and now I am moving down a different path. I’ll refrain from quoting my whole life plan and business plan for you all, but needless to say, I have far from given up, and dreams NEVER chase you, you HAVE to do the chasing.
Yeah me too, my first blog Gamelidz.tk was my first meeting with blog, i wasn’t intended to make money through it, i only did it for fun and showed how i love mobile games. Thank God, it gives me a little money. But it was fun to do.
You’re absolutely right! Doing something you love is a reward in itself. And as they always say, the money follows after.
A fantastic message and I couldn’t agree more. Blogging is a great way to chase your dreams. Interestingly, my blog is actually about chasing dreams and my chronicle of how I’m doing it but that’s beside the point!
I recently ran an inspirational post about a choir for homeless people called the Choir of Hard Knocks. The choir was set up by a world renowned Australian tenor, Jonathon Welch. He came across the post and left a comment! I was totally chuffed. I then emailed him to find out if he’d be interested in doing a phone interview to update us on what the choir had been up to and he agreed. I taped the interview and will be posting it soon.
This is an example (as is yours) of the power of the internet and the awesome opportunities that can suddenly appear.
Great post Emmet. Thanks!
The invent of blogging really make change the in map of internet itself. As we always heard “you must blogging even if you’re in business or not”
I think all of us can found more success stories how people can suddenly become famous because what have been written on their blog(no doubt also stories from the bad side).
The main important things your blog must be sincere, valid and informative content as soon people reach on your blog.
Hi Yaro
I agree with Emmet’s comments but would also add that it is a great way to express the inner you.
People who know me as a slightly serious business person are amazed that my blogs can have titles like “The Slow Death of the Silent Salesman” and “The Man with the Grasshopper Head”… but until I sat down and started writing I didn’t know that this stuff was within me.
You look like a badminton player, weirdly.
I just recently started blogging about the business I work for. I do not plan to make money from it however it is amazing how much I have learned about what we do just by blogging about it. I also have learned how everything links together and how positive it is for the business….and for the people who get educated by the blog. I am constantly thinking of new things to write about – bringing out the inner author in me.
Thanks Yaro. I started my blog four months ago because I love to write and create. No big monetization plans, I just wanted to have some fun.
Three months later Seth Godin noticed my blog and put me in touch with his literary agent. We just started shopping a book proposal, a memoir of the things I talk about on the blog.
The dream was just to have a reason to write for pleasure. Blogging really opens a lot of doors that you wouldn’t find otherwise. You never know where things will lead.
I’ve got a good friend who says this all the time: “Keep it fun or you won’t keep it.”
Take care friend. Always a pleasure
Whoops! I meant Emmet, not Yaro! Long day at work…
You make a good, valid point in that if you simply write about something you have passion for, everything will fall into place. Good bloggers write solid content. In return, you will receive a loyal following of readers and good PR. I’m glad to have seen a fellow blogger be able to achieve his dreams simply through blogging!
This story really shows the power of blogging. As long as you follow your passion, the dream will follow.
I am pretty new to blogging and a loan officer in the Seattle home mortgage area. The thing that makes blogging so fantastic is the points of view and the people you reach. As far as making money, I really believe that if you do what you love and love what you do, the money part will somehow work out. Thanks for the great article.
Nice post, good to see there are still people out there who like what they do and do it for that reason, of course one of my dreams that I chase it to make a lot of money, but that’s not my main motivator.. You can go through life happy or unhappy, and you only get to make that selection once.. Might as well be happy huh
Yaro, I also have tried a few blogs
I sold a few as well. Currently I am focused on only 1 blog which is geared on list building. I am working on it and hope to build a list and learm to market to a list in the process.
This is motivational post for me as I go through this learning process for list building blog.
Hi Yaro,
Thanks for your wonderful information. You are the best…I and my friends in the IT world have this burning question. We have all paid for pople to do our Blog/Sites and they all say up front they do everything…then when they are paid and there are no buyers after 4 months they say OH.it could take a year before you get buyers….I am not a marketer…but up front they say they know it all.
We have been doing this for 2-3 years now with information and products we love and are professionals with…how do we find the person to help us market our Blog/Sites (WordPress) and sell product? We are Tweeting, FaceBooking,YouTubing…and still waiting to make a buck…can you please direct us…I was the one chosen to write you …we love you….and knew you would help…we really need help in this down time…our blogs/sites look great but nothing coming in…
Thanks so much,
Tracy Hill@lavenderhillcolour.com
Your message that blogging is a gateway is one that really resonates with me Emmett. Not everybody necessarily have the skills to tell a great story, or the ability to identify potential lucrative niches and exploiting them, but your story is an inspiration to wannabe bloggers. Just do it.
I personally think that somewhere down the line blogging stopped being about a persons views and opinions and became a money making venture. Now don’t get me wrong there are plenty of people still out there who are putting together valuable posts and articles and posting them on their blogs and if these people want to put a little advertising on their site for a little extra cash then that’s their prerogative but I fear what could have been a great resource will be diluted to the point where nobody will read blogs any more.
I have been researching professional blogging, and I am starting to notice the same things in every blog. Which is sad, when you consider I have only known about professional blogging for about a month, and don’t spend that much time looking. It is helping me, however, learn what NOT to do. Which is have the same content as everyone else, and too many ads that shout “BUY MY STUFF” on it.
Debra
Blogging is like a magician’s box. It has something to offer to everyone who blogs.
I agree that there is a certain element of luck involved in blogging. So once you have a destinct topic you are interested and blogging about and post constantly then all it takes is one big break to make it big.
Yes you are right, on internet is very easy to do what you like, and also if you get borred by one thing there is everytime new intresting projects
.
I will agree that blogging should be more based towards your passion. I have a blog where I blog about my passion, although I haven’t been personally contacted by my Idol, I did get in contact with him, and I know they know about my website, so I know it won’t be long before I get a call and get invited out to an event =D
Till then,
Jean
Very inspiring story. If you focus on your dream, you are sure to achieve today or tomorrow. Thanks for the motivation.
OMG – Emmet, I could NOT agree with you more!!!
I also have been approached about an idea for a reality TV + last week someone said they are writing a book and liked my journey and would like to include my story by interviewing me (for http://www.eatsmartagesmart.com).
I cannot tell you how accurate your words are.
There are so many more good things to come my way that I don’t even see yet, but I can assure you that having a quality blog (by following ALL of Yaro’s advice) is the way to go!
This is such and encouraging story!!!
Krizia
Hey Emmet, this is amazing! Congratulations on that!! I definitely agree the blog is the best medium to put ourselves in connection with the world. My blog has also brought me a great load of opportunities, from simply meeting new people, collaboration opportunities on projects, invitations to speak, to interviews with the press and media, and it’s simply amazing how the world is so interconnected with the internet.
I’m new to blogging, very new and i was hung up on the passion vs profit augument, currently my blog is passion oriented but im nor sure that si the way to go, but for now i think ill concentrate on trying to get more traffic than getting lots of money.
Thanx
It still amazes me the number of people that start new blogs every day, you would think that the internet would be so over saturated that nobody would care anymore, but that is not the case. If you blog/site isn’t a complete POS then you are doing better than 99.8% of the blogs out there.
Having a quality site, with useful content that people can actually read will set you apart from the majority and start you on a path to actually earning money from your blog, if that’s the path you want to take. If of course your goal is simply self enlightenment or to do the “greater good” you can just go with your bad self and do that, for me I like pocketing a few bucks along the way too
I have started more blogs than I care to remember, one of which actually was a film student blog (I am currently at university studying film production technology) but other things tend to distract you and then the blog dies out.
My latest blog is going strong though, and I’ll bear what you said in mind (not having massive readership).
Oh, and I’m so jealous that you met Carrie Fisher!
Blogging should be based on your passion also it is a great way to chase our dreams because most of the time you get bored doing the same thing but through blogging you get something to learn each and every time
Very inspiring post, Emmet. Now I wonder if I could meet my favorite game designers by creating a video game tutorial blogs…
I made money online when I started setup my first blog.
Money is my passion =)
Maybe you guys think I’m obsessed with money but it’s true. No one can just build a blog for fun
Some blogs are useful for promoting your talent (non-pofit seeking) and for just plain fun. Who said everything is about money? However, it could lead to money.
It’s a nice way to practice whatever hobby you have. Imagine, years ago blogging didn’t exist. Therefore, you couldn’t use it as a journal or as a way to get that big break.
I just read an article in the newspaper about companies going online to promote new products. For example, Ford found 100 bloggers and gave them a new car (forgot the model) to try out. All they had to do was post videos on Youtube about their honest opinion about it. I don’t know what type of blogs they were targeting.
On my old sports blog, I got an email one day from Sprint asking if I wanted to be a Sprint Ambassador. That meant I got a free Sprint phone for 6 months. Unlimited calls. Unlimited internet, ringtones, downloads. I could even watch Sprint TV on the phone. All I had to do was giving my opinion to them. After the 6 months was done, they wanted to extend it another 6 months. Both times got new phones and got to keep it afterwards.
So it’s not as good as a trip to Hollywood but it was a nice surprise!
If you can generate traffic to your blog, you can make money with advertising or affiliate programs. I make a little extra money, but it’s not proportional to the amount of time I spend doing the work. The problem, i don’t have regular readers.
When I started my first blog, I did not even know that it can be used to earn. But now I know that this is real, and therefore not waste this opportunity. Thanks for the interesting post.
I, also never started a blog to earn from it. But when I saw my blog’s potential, I continued to post and find ways on how to put ads and earn from them. Because just like Cheryl Clausen’s Your Potential Buyers Want to be Heard, more and more ad services continue to show up meaning more and more ways to profit from your blogs. Thank you for a wonderful post!
Good advice Emmet. You shouldn’t go into blogging with money being your only goal. If you don’t have genuine interest in the topic you are writing about, you will likely fail. Blogging can open doors to other opportunities that aren’t necessarily all about money. For example, you could land a great job if your blog showcases your expertise on a relevant topic.
Hi Yaru,
I am pretty new to blogging and I am encorporating it as part of my wider business portfolio but it is a fantastic way to communicate with others and also discuss your passions and interests.
Certainly a great communicating tool!
Grant
thanks, i like your opinion, but the actual is we need living. we can chase dreams by the blog, but the living problem is first thing!!!
Tiffany, If living problem is first thing, i suggest you have to find a job first, then use your extra time to blog. I am getting money while I am blogging, using affiliate products.
I’m trying hard to earn money from blog but I also want to blog about what I’m interested in.
It’s no longer unusual for blogs with just a couple thousand daily readers to earn nearly as many dollars a month. Helping fill the pockets of such bloggers are programs like Google’s AdSense and many others that let individuals — not just major publications — tap into the rapidly growing pot of advertising dollars with a click of the mouse.
Ohh that is true. I want my dreams come true next year. I am planning to travel all over the world and earn cash by blogging and run three or four website. At the moment I am saving money for this big event and if the website are running great I want to travel two or three years to have a loop up on great places and nice countries. Now I am 24 years old and studying business administrations. Next year I do my exam and then it starts in germany
Cheers,
Volksphone!